This illustrated lesson provides students with many illustrations, hyperlinked articles, and essential questions that can be used by students to create their own PowerPoint project about poverty.

1. Decreasing Poverty in
America
Research Projects for
Students
BY
Dean R Berry, Ed. D.

2. The Mission
You have been nominated by your political
party to be their nominee for president of the
United States. One of your most important
goals is to reduce the discrepancy between
rich and poor and reduce the number of
children that go to bed hungry at night in the
U.S. Your advisors have cautioned you that
helping people move from poverty into the
middle class will be a very daunting task.

3. The Focus
• In order to address this economic and social
problem, you have asked your advisors to
help you research the problem in depth. In
addition, you need to expand your knowledge
of the problem so you can develop a specific
plan to present at a future campaign speech.
The country is counting on you, and your
chances to be elected president depend on a
solid proposal to help people reach the
middle class.

4. Essential Questions
• Use the following essential questions to help guide your
research.
• 1. What are the primary causes of poverty in the United
States?
• 2. What kind of role does education play in addressing
the poverty problem?
• 3. Does the American economy provide a “level playing
field” that ensures equal opportunity for all Americans
to reach the middle class?
• 4. What is the difference between a progressive and a
regressive tax system? Which system would be best to
solve the problem of poverty in the United States?

5. Essential Questions
• 5. How is the “trickle down” approach to
economics suppose to help all Americans
prosper financially?
• 6. How is increased government spending
suppose to help all Americans prosper
financially?
• 7. Why is the gap between the wealthy and
average Americans widening? Does it really
matter?
• 8. Should the minimum wage be increased? Why
or why not?

6. Begin Your Internet Research
• Consulting different sources about your topic
requires the use of critical reading skills to
help determine the reliability of each source.
• Identifying an author’s main points and
evaluating supportive evidence is an
essential task in verifying the importance
and validity of an author’s argument.
Complete the following assignment and turn
it in with your research notes before you
begin writing your 2-3 page proposal.

7. Evaluation of Sources Assignment
In order to complete the research
requirement, you will need to read and review
8-12 of the following internet sources and
take notes. As you read your sources
carefully, use the essential questions that
have been provided to gather relevant
information about your topic. After reviewing
your 8-12 sources, select three of them and
provide a thorough analysis of each by
completing the following questions.

8. As you read your internet
articles, look for supportive
evidence. Do not accept the
author’s argument or point of
view unless strong supporting
evevidence is provided.

9. The evidence must be in the text!

10. Evaluating Sources Assignment
Select three articles and answer 5 of the 9 questions for each article.
• 1. Is there a message or main idea presented in the text?
What in the text led you to that conclusion?
• 2. Is the author trying to convince the reader of
something? What? How do you know this?
• 3. If the author is comparing something, what is being
compared and what makes the comparison effective?
• 4. Has the author used any words, phrases, or sentence
structures to create a particular effect or convey a
meaning? Explain and give examples from the text.
• 5. Does the author use any words that may have more
than one meaning? Identify the words and their multiple
meanings.

11. • 6. Read between the lines and select a point that you
think the author is making without directly saying it. How
do you know you can infer this meaning from what the
author is saying?
• 7. Is there anything missing from the text that you
expected to find? Why might the author have left that out
of the text?
• 8. Do you have any reason to question the validity or
reliability of the author’s supporting evidence? Explain
your concerns about the evidence presented by the
author.
• 9. Does the author make a claim that is supported by a
source that is considered credible by the academic
community at large? How do you know this?

12. PowerPoint Version Available
The research hyperlinks and PowerPoint images are
available in PowerPoint format. Look under the
Resources tab on our web site. This format will
enable you to hyperlink directly to internet sources and
to change image slides for your own use.

13. Hunger in America:
Real Facts and People
•http://www.nationalgeographic
.com/foodfeatures/hunger/

14. Food Insecurity in America
•http://news.nationalgeograp
hic.com/news/2014/07/1407
16-hunger-america-food-
poverty-nutrition-diet/

15. Income Analysis Shows Widening Gap
Between the Wealthy and the Poor
• http://www.bankrate.com/finance/economics/income-gap-widening-
1.aspx

16. Kids May Suffer in Come Gap
• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/11/us-kids-gap-
idUSBREA1A21A20140211

17. Growing Income Divide Between
Haves and Have Nots
• http://finance.yahoo.com/news/growing-divide-between-haves-nots-
100000024.html

18. The Economic Divide: Pew Research
• http://www.pewresearch.org/2007/09/13/a-nation-of-haves-and-
havenots/

19. Overview of Income Gap of Americans
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_State
s

20. Why We Have an Income Gap in America
• http://iasp.brandeis.edu/pdfs/Author/shapiro-thomas-
m/racialwealthgapbrief.pdf

21. Why Income Inequality is Increasing
• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7180618

22. How to Fix the Income Gap
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurapennington/2013/03/08/to-fix-
income-inequality-the-have-nots-must-become-the-do-somethings/

23. Solving the Income Gap Problem
From Top Down
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjay-sanghoee/how-to-solve-
income-inequ_b_4686396.html

24. Seven Ways to Reduce the Gap
Between Rich and Poor
• http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/29/opinion/sutter-solutions-income-
inequality/

25. Facts About Income Inequality
• http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/07/5-facts-about-
economic-inequality/

26. Ways to Solve the Widening Gap
Between Rich and Poor
• http://www.policymic.com/articles/26805/income-inequality-in-
america-what-we-should-be-doing-about-it

27. Experts Views on How to Fix the Income Gap
• http://financesonline.com/income-inequality-views-solutions-from-
experts/

28. Facts and Numbers to Demonstrate
the Great Income Divide
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/18/10-
numbers-that-explain-why-income-inequality-is-a-hot-topic/

29. Using Graphs and Charts
as Primary Sources
Use the following slides as
primary source information
and evidence to support your
arguments. Take careful notes
so you can use the data as you
write your paper.

30. Primary Document

31. Primary Document

32. Primary Documents

33. Primary Document

34. Primary Documents

35. Primary Document

36. Primary Document

37. Primary Documents

38. Primary Document

39. Primary Documents

40. Primary Document

41. Primary Document

42. Primary Document

43. Write a Proposal
Use your notes to write a two or
three page proposal to
recommend how poverty
can be reduced in
America. Provide specific
information to support your
proposed ideas with clearly
articulated arguments and
sufficient evidence.
43

44. Your Proposal
• Define the
issue/problem
• Outline the details of
your argument
• Cite supporting
research
• Project possible
roadblocks
• Specify contingency or
back up plans
44

45. Evaluate and Verify Research Sources
• Internet sources will vary greatly in accuracy
and reliability
• Consider the expertise and reputation of each
website
• Compare facts and information of different
internet sources
• Select information that is supported on
several reliable websites
• Question or refute information that lacks
consistent support

46. Fact checking can be a useful way
of verifying information that may
be unreliable. The following
websites may help.
http://www.snopes.com/
http://www.factcheck.org/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blog
s/fact-checker/

47. Develop a Writing Plan
• Determine what your
main point will be, and
write a topic sentence
that provides focus for
your essay.
• Choose several main
ideas that support your
topic sentence.
• Sort your information
into supporting details
with facts and
examples.
47

48. Use the five
paragraph
essay to write
your paper.
48

49. 49
Five Paragraph Essay
Outline
Introduction
What is my topic
sentence?
Body-Main Ideas
With supporting
details
Conclusion
How can I summarize
my paragraph?
How can I rephrase my
topic sentence?

50. Details Must Support the Main Ideas
Provide specific
facts, examples,
and reasons for
each main idea
in the body of
your essay

51. Create an Outline
Topic Sentence___________________________________
_______________________________________________
A. Main Idea_____________________________________
_______________________________________________
Details/Evidence__________________________________
_______________________________________________
Details/Evidence__________________________________
_______________________________________________
B. Main Idea_____________________________________
_______________________________________________
Details/Evidence__________________________________
________________________________________________
51

52. Prepare to Write
•Use your outline and
write a five paragraph
essay about reducing
poverty in America.
• As you write your rough
draft, it will be very
important to use special
words that enable you to
transition smoothly from
one idea to the next.
52

53. Transition Words
As you view these
words, select the words
that help you make
transitions smoothly
from one idea to the
next.
• as a result
• such as
• for example
• nevertheless
• for that reason
• finally
• at this time
• therefore
• furthermore
• in addition
• in conclusion
• as well as
53

54. Review, Edit, and Rewrite
1. Re-read your essay several
times.
2. How can you improve your
sentences to communicate more
clearly?
3. Are your main ideas supported
by examples and details?
4. Exchange papers with another
student and read each other’s
essay out loud.
5. Make final corrections and write
the final draft of your polished
essay. 54

55. Once you have completed your independent
research and written your paper, you will
demonstrate your knowledge of the topic by
creating a PowerPoint that illustrates the main
points of your research. Begin your powerpoint
by stating your topic and presenting your main
points with supporting evidence.
Convert your Knowledge
into Action
55

56. Creating Your PowerPoint
•Use some of the following slides with
images and create an illustrated
PowerPoint presentation about your
research topic. Change the
illustrated slides in various ways
to enhance your presentation. Use a
minimum of ten slides with
illustrations and text.

57. PowerPoint Version Available
The research hyperlinks and PowerPoint images are available in
PowerPoint format. Look under the Resources tab on our web
site. This format will enable you to hyperlink directly to internet
sources and to change image slides for your own use. In order to
merge the image slides with your own PowerPoint, you will need to
click on the insert tab and and click on new slides. Then click on
reuse slides and browse your files for a copy of the PowerPoint
student project presention(PowerPoint version found under our
resources tab). You will then be able to see the image slides we
have provided for you in the right margin. Click on the slides you
want add to your own PowerPoint.

58. Your Caption Here
The Martins Live Here with Their Little Girl

59. Your Caption Here
A Loving Home and Family

60. Your Caption Here
Plenty of Space

61. Your Caption Here
The Martins Live in a Great
Neighborhood

62. You Can Play Golf on
Your Front Lawn

63. Your info here- Life in the Suburbs

64. Wow! A Pool in the Front Yard!
Your info here

65. Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Your info here

66. Olympic Size Swimming
Pool for this Couple

67. Your info here
This is Our Home

68. your info here
Big City Slums

69. Squatters Live Here

70. Housing for the Poor

71. This is our Neighborhood

72. Big City Life in the Tenements

73. The View from my House

74. My Backyard Pool

75. This is our Vacation House

76. The Middle Class Dream

77. A Lucky Family of Four
Lives Here

78. Hundreds of Families Live Here

79. Always Plenty to Eat

80. Very Scrumptious Indeed

81. Vanilla Ice Cream Smothered in Cherries

82. More than One Can Eat

83. Soup or Rice Every
Day Keeps Me Going

84. What’s for Dinner?

85. Dessert is Ready

86. A Very Expensive Dinner

87. Dining Out

88. Momma, I’m Hungry

89. Where’s My Dinner?

90. Delicious Roasted Shish Kabobs

91. When I Get Hungry, I Eat Paint
Chips Containing Dangerous Lead

92. This Child is Near Death

93. Life is so Wonderful

94. I’ve Got Everything I Need!

95. Nanny Takes Care of the Kids

96. Cute New Outfits

97. Toys for the Affluent

98. Gifts for All

99. Learning at the Library

100. How Was the Service, Sir?

101. A Great Learning Environment

102. Mom and Dad are Drug Addicts

103. Nowhere Safe to Play

104. My Pet Pig Will Feed us Someday

105. What Will our Future Be Like?

106. We Have to Drink this Water

107. Daddy’s Gone, and Momma
Doesn’t Make Much Money

108. I Don’t Know What to Do

109. You Can Have this for $200,000

110. My Basic Transportation

111. This is Our Transportation

112. Relaxing on our 30 ft. Yacht

113. There’s Never Enough
to Go Around

114. Should We Save or Spend?

115. The Have’s

116. The Have Nots

117. Shopping for Luxury

118. I Can Fly, but Where Will I Land?

119. Most People in my
Country are Very Poor

120. Equal Opportunity is Green

121. A Good Education, a Good
Job, and a Nice Home

122. Despair for the Present Kills
Hope for the Future

123. Get Involved

124. What Can WE DO?

125. It’s All About Jobs!

126. Do I Have a Future?

127. How Can We Help?

128. Give me a Chance; I Need a Job!

129. Good Schools Lead to Good Jobs

130. Lead me to a Great Education

131. Graduation Makes a Difference

132. Your Caption Here

133. Older Home that Needs Repairs

134. Street Life in the Projects

135. Knock Knock Is Anybody Home?

136. A Great Place to Play

137. Home for a Family of Five

138. The Couple that Lives Here Has
Trouble Finding Each Other

139. Making Do With What They Have

140. Violence is Never Far Away

141. Empty and Boarded
Repossessions

142. A Great Backyard

143. Very Comfortable Living

144. Shooting Hoops in the Front Yard

145. Mom and Dad Bought this House for me

146. Danger Lurks in my
Neighborhood

147. Getting By

148. I’m Living the Life

149. Your Caption Here

150. Your Caption Here

151. Your Caption Here

152. Your Caption Here

153. Your Caption Here

154. Graphic Organizers For Your Project
• The following slides contain graphic organizers that can
be easily adapted to include your content. Click on a
frame and type in your words or information. Erase the
letters that currently occupy the graphic organizer.
These graphic organizers will provide you with a great
way to display key ideas about your topic. Try to include
2 or 3 of these graphic organizers in your PowerPoint
presentation.

158. a

160. 160

162. 162

163. 163

164. 164
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